CBI actions against illegal coal trading helped ECL get better price: CBI official

 Illegal coal tring in Asansol-Jharia belt in West Bengal and Jharkhand has stopped completely following raids by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which is probing matter, and ECL is getting better prices for that, a senior official of investigating ncy said on Thursday.

official said that thousands of crores of rupees have been involved in illegal tring in this zone and, in terms of money exchanged illegally, it is a bigger scam than cattle smuggling operation at India-Banglesh border in West Bengal, which is also being investigated by CBI.

After probe ncy stopped illegal tring in Asansol-Jharia belt, prices of coal at e-auctions at Eastern Coal Fields (ECL) have gone up, he claimed.

"Because illegal excavation has stopped, consumers are purchasing coal through legal routes for which ECL is w realising better margins," official told PTI on condition of anymity.

ECL clocked a 40 per cent rise over tified prices in recent e-auctions and CBI raids on illegal tring are definitely one of reasons for it, an ECL official said. CBI official said that its Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has taken this action against coal mafia suo motu and it was t instructed by any government or any or constitutional body such as courts.

He said that ACB under DIG Akhilesh Kumar Singh has raided premises of alleged kingpin of illegal coal tring racket Anup Majhi alias Lala and his close aide Ratnesh Verma.

"se two primary suspects are absconding. ir escape routes have been closed," official said ding that if needed, ncy will attach properties of two.

CBI teams are camping at Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district to find out or people involved in racket.According to official, CBI found that amount of money involved in illegal tring of coal amounts to thousands of crores of rupees.

"But actual loss to Coal India is multiple times more due to huge quantum of slush money involved in se illegal transactions," he ded.

CBI is w in process of building evidence by talking to various people such as truck drivers who were involved in transporting illegal coal.

ncy, he said, started detecting illegal coal mining much before rainy season last year. "Throughout rainy season, CBI has been lying low. It got into act once rainy season got over".

He said that six officials of ECL have also been identified for being a part of racket, of whom one died of heart attack on day of raid at his premises.

CBI on vember 28 carried out a massive search operation at 45 locations in four states after registering a case against alleged coal pilferer Anup Manjhi who was suspected to be acting in collusion with two general manrs and three security personnel of ECL.

searches were spre across West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Presh.

(IM CREDITS:PTI)